RALEIGH, N.C. – The Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) Department of Athletics announced Friday that 10 individuals and one team will be inducted into the SAU Athletic Hall of Fame.
The announcement was made before the start of the second annual Lawrence Coleman Golf Tournament at Hedingham Golf Course. The official Hall of Fame ceremony will take place in Oct. with a date and site to be determined.
Below is the list of 2022 inductees:
Anthony Boggan (Men’s Basketball) — A 1982 Saint Augustine’s graduate, Boggan scored nearly 1,800 points during his collegiate career (1977-1981). A CIAA Hall of Famer, Boggan led the Falcons to the 1980 NAIA District 26 Championship and an appearance in the 1980 NAIA National Tournament. A two-time All-CIAA selection, Boggan was named the 1979-1980 NAIA District 26 Tournament MVP and the 1980-1981 CIAA Tri-Player of the Year.
Carolyn Brown (Women’s Basketball) – Brown is considered the best women’s basketball player ever at Saint Augustine’s. A two-time CIAA Player of the Year (1992-93), Brown is in the NCAA Division II record books for three-point shooting and steals. She scored a career-high 58 points vs. Tampa in 1993 which ranks 9th all-time in Division II. Brown is a CIAA Hall of Fame inductee.
Leon Carrington (Tennis Coach/Administrator) – Coach Carrington has been a loyal and dependable coach and administrator at Saint Augustine’s University for 40 years. He held various positions on campus after graduating from Saint Augustine’s in 1980, including Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach and Sports Information Director. He was the tennis coach for 33 years and sports information director for 22 years. Under Carrington, the Falcons captured the NAIA District 26 Men’s Tennis Title and advanced to the national tournament in 1981. The Falcons also swept the NAIA District 26 singles and doubles crown. For his coaching efforts, Carrington was named NAIA District 26 Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year. He is currently the SAU Associate Athletic Director, a position he’s held for eight years.
Lawrence Coleman (Men’s Golf) — Coach Coleman took the program to unparalleled heights, including six HBCU national championships (1990-1994), five Division II crowns, and seven CIAA titles. The Falcons won the HBCU overall title in 1993, which drew widespread attention for what resulted afterward. President Bill Clinton invited Coach Coleman and his Falcons to the White House for their accomplishment at the PGA National Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, which Coleman helped start. The Falcons coach retired in 2009 after 37 years at the helm. Coleman, who passed away in 2021, is in the National Black Golf and CIAA Halls of Fame.
Dr. Beverly Downing (Women’s Basketball) — Dr. Downing was influential as a coach and educator at Saint Augustine’s in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982, Downing began coaching women’s basketball and softball at Saint Augustine’s College (now Saint Augustine’s University) where she won seven CIAA Coach of the Year awards throughout her career, including three in basketball (1986, 1990, 1992). As the head women’s basketball coach at SAU, Downing accumulated 260 wins over 16 seasons, the most in program history, while winning multiple CIAA Southern Division titles. She finished with 12 winning seasons including five seasons of 20 wins or more. Downing also won two CIAA titles (1989, 1991) and three-division crowns (1990-1992) while leading the Lady Falcons softball program. She preached academics as her basketball and softball teams annually posted over 3.0 grade-point averages. Downing was included in the CIAA Hall of Fame in 2022.
Harry Freeman (Men’s Cross Country/Track) – Freeman was the CIAA long-distance king during the early 1980s. In cross country, he was a three-time CIAA champion and was named most outstanding men’s performer three times. He also was an NAIA District 26 champion and helped Saint Augustine’s win the NAIA District 26 team title. In track and field, Freeman was a three-time 5,000-meter champ and two-time 1,500-meter champion in the CIAA. He was the NAIA District 26 champ in the 10,000- (twice) and 5,000-meter runs. As a coach, Freeman was named NCAA DII Southeast Regional Coach of the Year after leading the Falcons to the regional crown in 2000.
Bershawn “Batman” Jackson (Men’s Track) – Jackson was one of the most recognizable faces in track and field in the 2000s. As a teenager, he won the 2004 World Championships in his signature event – the 400-meter hurdles. He is also an Olympic medalist, claiming bronze in the 2008 Games. Jackson is a five-time U.S. 400-meter hurdles champion, which is the most of any American hurdler. At Saint Augustine’s, Jackson was a four-time national champion and still holds the NCAA Division II record in the 400 hurdles.
Isaac “Ike” Lassiter (Football) – At Saint Augustine’s, Lassiter was a force on both sides of the line in earning All-CIAA honors. As a professional player, he stayed on the defensive side of the ball, much to the chagrin of offensive linemen. Playing defensive end, Lassiter was one of the main pass rushers on an Oakland Raiders team that reached Super Bowl II after winning the 1967 American Football League (AFL) championship. The accolades came his way after a slow start to his pro career. He was drafted in the ninth round by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in 1967 and had stints with the Rams and Denver Broncos of the AFL before settling in with the Raiders, where he emerged as an All-AFL player.
Tony Mmoh (Men’s Tennis) – A three-time CIAA singles champion, Mmoh led the Falcons to two CIAA men’s team tennis championships. The Falcons appeared in the national rankings and were serious NAIA and NCAA Division II men’s tennis contenders. His best year was 1980 when he led the underdog Falcons to the NAIA District 26 team title. Mmoh entered the NAIA National Tournament as the top-seeded singles player and teamed with Bullus Hussaini to take the NAIA national doubles crown. The following year, Mmoh earned the top singles seed once again in the NAIA Nationals. He only lost twice in singles his final two seasons. He reached the 1980 NAIA national finals and the 1981 NAIA national semifinals. After graduating from Saint Augustine’s in 1982, Mmoh was a regular on the professional tennis circuit in the 1980s and 90s. He is the only Falcon to play in Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open and the Olympics.
Razor Shines (Baseball) – After transferring from Louisburg College, the standout slugger led the Falcons in many offensive categories, including hits, batting average, home runs, RBIs, and doubles. Major League Baseball came calling in 1978 when the Montreal Expos drafted Shine as a college junior. He established a lengthy career in the sport as a professional player and manager. After four years with the Expos as a catcher and first baseman, Shine joined the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians and became a fan favorite. He helped the Indians win four straight league championships in the 1980s. As a minor league manager, Shines won over 500 games in seven seasons and was chosen Southern League Manager of the Year with the Birmingham Barons in 2005. Once again, Major League Baseball took notice, this time for his coaching skills. Shines enjoyed stints with the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets as a position coach.
The 1996-97 Men’s Basketball Team – This Falcons’ team is best remembered for winning the school’s first CIAA basketball championship, defeating Fayetteville State 70-64 under the late legendary head coach Norvell Lee. The Falcons were led by several players including Eric Harris, Lafonte Moses, Chris Elliott and the late Bernard Heard. All four players were named to the All-Tournament Team and Heard was selected Tournament MVP. The Falcons finished 25-8 record after reaching the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional finals.
Courtesy: SAU Athletics
